An access facilitation conduit or deck box is mountable on a barrier such as a bulkhead or a container vessel. The deck box allows for the insertion of the firefighting accessory such as a nozzle to a pre-established aperture in the deck box. The deck box is ordinarily sealed in the aperture a rupturable membrane or disc. The insertion of the firefighting accessory through the deck box ruptures the rupturable membrane. The deck box further allows for the provision of sensors as well as a feed of electronic data out through the deck box to a ship wide control and monitoring system. Sensors can detect fire, explosion, humidity, temperature, and the like. A firefighting accessory is for use with the deck box, as well as penetration assistance mechanisms for facilitating the penetration of the rupturable membrane.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
-. (canceled)
. An access facilitation conduit suitable for allowing access by a firefighting accessory through an aperture in a barrier at least partially surrounding a compartment, the access facilitation conduit comprising:
. The access facilitation conduit of, wherein the rupturable membrane is configured for being ruptured by engagement of the firefighting accessory with the access facilitation conduit.
. The access facilitation conduit of, wherein the access facilitation conduit includes a nozzle arrangement configured for extending through the aperture in the barrier.
. The access facilitation conduit of, wherein the access facilitation conduit includes a connector arrangement for connecting to a source of fire extinguishing agent.
. The access facilitation conduit of, wherein the access facilitation conduit includes a frame connecting arrangement configured for connecting the frame to the barrier.
. An access facilitation conduit for allowing access by a firefighting accessory through an aperture in a barrier at least partially surrounding a compartment, the access facilitation conduit comprising:
. The access facilitation conduit of, wherein the access facilitation conduit includes a rupturable membrane retainable by the insulated body member to at least partially cover the passage, and wherein the rupturable membrane is configured for being ruptured to access the passage.
. The access facilitation conduit of, wherein the body member is configured for connection to a source of fire extinguishing agent.
. The access facilitation conduit of, wherein the body member includes an outer insulative piece and an inner insulative piece.
. The access facilitation conduit of, wherein the retaining arrangement includes an inner retaining member and an outer retaining member.
. The access facilitation conduit of, wherein the retaining arrangement includes a body retaining member configured for retaining the body member in position together with the outer retaining member.
. The access facilitation conduit of, wherein the inner retaining member and outer retaining member are configured for attachment to each other through the aperture.
. The access facilitation conduit of, wherein the inner insulative piece and the outer insulative piece each include an engaging formation configured to engage a complementary engaging formation on the body retaining member and outer retaining member, respectively.
. The access facilitation conduit of, wherein the body member includes an outer insulative piece and an inner insulative piece, wherein the access facilitation conduit includes a rupturable membrane retainable by the insulated body member to at least partially cover the passage, and wherein the body retaining member and the outer retaining member act to clamp the inner insulative piece and the outer insulative piece together to retain the rupturable membrane.
. A penetration assistance mechanism for penetrating a rupturable membrane on an access facilitation conduit, the penetration assistance mechanism comprising:
. A penetration assistance mechanism of, wherein the base includes connecting formations configured for mounting the penetration assistance mechanism to complementary connecting formations on the access facilitation conduit.
. A penetration assistance mechanism of, wherein the mechanical force multiplier mechanism is configured for translating helical movement along a thread formation to axial movement.
Complete technical specification and implementation details from the patent document.
The present invention relates to an access facilitation conduit, and in particular to an access facilitation conduit for use with a firefighting accessory on vessels that define compartmented spaces.
The invention has been developed primarily for use in/application on water craft and similar vessels and will be described hereinafter with reference to this application. However, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to this particular field of use.
At present, if a fire breaks out in a particular compartment on a vessel at sea, then extinguishing the fire can be extremely hazardous, as access to the fire may be limited, and because heat can build up in enclosed spaces very quickly. Opening up of hatches to the compartment in which the fire is present may be hazardous, as this could feed oxygen to the fire, causing an escalation of the fire, also known as backdraft.
At present, one of the methodologies used to fight fires within a compartment on a vessel includes cutting through the bulkhead from an adjacent area, such as a passageway or adjacent room. Cutting of the bulkhead may be carried out by oxyacetylene gas torch, or using some other exothermic cutting process, to cut a hole in the typically steel bulkhead. Firefighters then try and spray firefighting chemicals or water through the aperture in the bulkhead. However, making an aperture in the bulkhead using an oxyacetylene torch or exothermic process may present its own risks. The oxyacetylene torch may cause the ignition of the highly volatile gases that accumulate above the fire within the compartment. Further, the use of oxyacetylene torches may cause additional items to be set alight within the fire zone.
Another methodology is to drill a hole into the bulkhead from the adjacent area to connect a firefighting accessory to the bulkhead and dispense firefighting agent into the fire affected compartment. However, the operator may be at risk of drilling into structural steel, meaning that it will take a long time to drill through the bulkhead, or, the operator may inadvertently drill into critical electrical cables, or drill into the wrong part of the bulkhead.
The present invention seeks to provide an access facilitation conduit, which will overcome or substantially ameliorate at least some of the deficiencies of the prior art, or to at least provide an alternative.
It is to be understood that, if any prior art information is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the information forms part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any other country.
According to a first aspect, the present invention may be said to involve an access facilitation conduit for allowing access by a firefighting accessory through a barrier at least partially surrounding a compartment, the access facilitation conduit comprising:
In one embodiment, the frame is cylindrical.
In one embodiment, the access facilitation conduit includes a clamping arrangement for clamping the rupturable membrane in position.
In one embodiment, the clamping arrangement includes an annular seat for seating the rupturable membrane.
In one embodiment, the annular seat is integrally formed with the frame.
In one embodiment, the clamping arrangement includes an inner annular retaining formation configured to retain the rupturable membrane.
In one embodiment, the annular seat and the inner annular retaining formation are configured to retain the rupturable membrane between them.
In one embodiment, the inner annular retaining formation and the annular seat are castellated.
In one embodiment, the rupturable membrane is a single-use membrane.
In one embodiment, the rupturable membrane is a burst disc or a rupture disk.
In one embodiment the inner annular retaining formation and the seat are configured to be held together by fasteners.
In one embodiment, the rupturable membrane is integrally formed with the frame.
In one embodiment, the access facilitation conduit includes a cover arrangement.
In one embodiment, the cover arrangement includes a closure member.
In one embodiment, the closure member is removably attachable to the frame.
In one embodiment, the frame is removably attachable to the deck of a marine vessel.
In one embodiment, the frame is permanently attachable to the deck of a marine vessel.
In one embodiment, the frame is configured to sealingly engage with a firefighting accessory.
In one embodiment, the inner annular retaining formation is configured to sealingly engage with the firefighting accessory.
In one embodiment, the access facilitation conduit includes a temperature sensor.
In one embodiment, the access facilitation conduit includes a nozzle arrangement configured for extending through the aperture in the barrier.
In one embodiment, the access facilitation conduit includes a connector arrangement for connecting to a source of fire extinguishing agent.
In one embodiment, the rupturable membrane is configured to be ruptured by the pressure of the fire extinguishing agent.
In one embodiment, the access facilitation conduit includes a frame connecting arrangement configured for connecting the frame to the barrier.
In one embodiment, the frame connecting arrangement includes a threaded formation on the frame and a retaining ring.
In one embodiment, the access facilitation conduit includes a primary rupturable membrane and a secondary rupturable membrane.
In one embodiment, the primary rupturable membrane is configured for rupturing and very high pressures, and has a primary purpose of sealing the passage through the access facilitation conduit in the event of water ingress into the compartment.
In one embodiment, the secondary rupturable membrane is configured for sensing a high-pressure event such as an explosion in the compartment.
In one embodiment, the secondary rupturable membrane includes a bimetallic sensor for sensing when the rupturable membrane has burst.
In one embodiment, the access facilitation conduit includes a firefighting accessory connector thread by which the firefighting accessory can be turned to move through the passage and penetrate the one or more rupturable membranes.
In one embodiment, the access facilitation conduit includes at least one or more sensors for sensing one or more selected from:
In one embodiment, the at least one or more sensors of located on the compartment side of the access facilitation conduit.
In one embodiment, the access facilitation conduit includes a transmitter.
In one embodiment, the access facilitation conduit includes a receiver.
In one embodiment, the access facilitation conduit includes an electrical terminal that can be connected to electrical circuitry.
In one embodiment, the electrical terminal is located to be accessible from outside of the compartment.
In one embodiment, the access facilitation conduit includes an electrical connector arrangement configured for connecting the at least one or more sensors on the compartment side of the access facilitation conduit is to the electrical terminal through one or more selected from the frame and the clamping arrangement.
In one embodiment, the transmitter is configured for transmitting data received from the one or more sensors.
In one embodiment, the access facilitation conduit includes a quick connector mechanism adapted for allowing convenient quick connection of the firefighting accessory.
In one embodiment, the quick connector mechanism is configured for capturing the firefighting accessory by locking it in position when it is inserted into the quick connector mechanism.
In one embodiment, the quick connector mechanism includes an outer sleeve, an inner annular member, and at least one or more spherical members.
In one embodiment, the outer sleeve is spring biased by a spring.
In one embodiment, the inner annular member defines an outer face and an inner face.
Unknown
October 9, 2025
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